Automobile signal switch



March 29, 1938.

E. T. CONDOM- AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL SWITCH Filed June 5, 1936 ll IIIIIIIIH EDWARD 7 Con/00M ATTORNEY INVENTOR.

/ 4 Prfi Patented Mar. 29, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

The invention relates to an electrical switching device adapted more especially for use with selfpropelled vehicles such as automobiles, as, for example, where it is desirable to give indication of a drivers intention to make a turn either to the right or to the left.

An object of the invention resides in the provision of a three-point signal switch mechanism which may be manually operated to the three positions and embodying yieldable contact elements of the switch device, together with additional yieldable holding means to insure against unintentional displacement of the coacting parts under rough usage to which a switch of this type may be subjected, particularly in connection with the operation of heavy trucks and the like.

In carrying out the invention, there is arranged to be suitably secured to an element of the vehicle conveniently located to the operator the novel switching mechanism in. a manner such that a handle element thereof is located for manipulation by the downwardly directed fingers of an operator. This handle is designed to oscillate a movable member of the switch device to either side of a neutral position, there being provided on a stationary associated portion three independent terminal elements including two end and an intermediate terminal with yieldable contacts adapted for location in juxtaposition to the movable member.

To insure the proper positioning of the movable member and maintenance of a selected position, there is provided in the handle portion thereof a spring-urged plunger or detent member adapted to engage one of three sockets provided in the stationary body portion and which sockets are spaced in accordance with the angular spacing of the yieldable terminal elements so that when the movable member is juxtaposed to any of said terminal elements, its position will be further insured againt unintentional displacement by the detent member carried by the handle of such movable member.

The nature of the invention, however, will best be understood when described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of the novel switch device with a portion indicated in horizontal section.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the device; and Fig. 3 is a bottom plan.

Referring to the drawings, I0 designates a stationary or attaching body portion of a switch device which may be mounted upon a suitable threaded stud H, as indicated, for example, at the end of a switch lever or a bracket for attachment to the steering post of a self-propelled vehicle. This body portion carries also a plurality of yieldable elements as the spring-pressed balls I2, the two outer balls constituting, for example, live contact terminals while the intermediate one consti' tutes a neutral or grounded terminal.

A pilot lamp l3 may also be arranged in the body portion, if desired.

Upon the top of the stationary body portion I0 is mounted for oscillation a suitable cap or movable member I5 bearing upon its under face, which is juxtaposed to the terminal elements 12, a pair of oppositely disposed shoes l6, l1 adapted to slide over a pair of adjacent terminals to bridge the same, that is to say, a live terminal with the intermediate grounded terminal when the movable member is oscillated either to the right or to the left of its neutral position, similarly to the arrangement set forth in my copending application, Serial No. 524,990.

To effect convenient oscillation of this movable member, the same is provided with a handle or like element 18 projecting radially outwardly therefrom and which may be manipulated by the fingers of an operator of a vehicle. It has been found, particularly in the case of heavy trucks and vehicles subjected to considerable jarring and rough usage, that the spring-urged balls 12 may not exert sufiicient hold upon the movable member to insure that its position will be maintained under all conditions. In order to obviate any possible unintentional displacement, the said handle member I8 is, axially bored to receive a coil spring 19 which is located behind a detent member or plunger 20 urged inwardly toward the stationary body portion I8. The latter, moreover, is provided in its periphery with a plurality of sockets 2| designed to receive the protruding end of the plunger 20; and the respective sockets are angularly located to conform to the positions of the aforesaid terminal elements. By this expedient, whenever the movable member is properly positioned for making contact or is located in its neutral position, the said plunger 20 will also be located in a corresponding socket, which sockets may be rounded, as shown, to admit ready entry and removal in oscillating the movable member to a selected position.

I claim:

1. A three-point signal switch for use with selfpropelled vehicles, comprising stationary attaching means affording a bearing portion having a plurality of peripheral and circularly-disposed recesses, an annular exposed member movably mounted over and to rotate on the said bearing portion and carrying a pair of separated contact shoes, means associated with the movable member adapted for manual engagement to oscillate said movable member upon either side of a neutral position, three independent terminal elements including two end and an intermediate terminal with yieldable contacts for engagement with the contact shoes in a direction parallel to their axis of oscillation and carried by the attaching means in juxtaposition to the movable member such that the intermediate terminal corresponds to the neutral position of said movable member, and a holding member carried by the movable member for yieldable positive engagement with the said recesses, in a direction at right angles to the direction of the application of the contact pressures, when said holding member is in either of its two operative positions and to maintain thereby a selected position.

2. A three-point signal switch for use with self-propelled vehicles, comprising attaching means affording a bearing portion having a plurality of peripheral and circularly-disposed recesses, an annular exposed member movably mounted over and to rotate on the said bearing portion and carrying a pair of separated contact shoes, a hollow handle extending radially outwardly therefrom adapted for manual engagement to oscillate said movable member upon either side of a neutral position, three independent terminal elements including two end and an intermediate terminal with yieldable contacts for engagement with the contact shoes in a direction parallel to their axis of oscillation and carried by the attaching means in juxtaposition to the movable member such that the intermediate terminal corresponds to the neutral position of said movable member, and a spring-urged detent housed within the hollow handle to engage said recesses, in a direction at right angles to the direction of the application of the contact pressures, when said movable member is in either of its two operative positions as well as in its neutral position and to maintain thereby a selected position.

EDWARD T. CONDON. 

